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Wenger backs Lehmann call for protection

Arsène Wenger has backed
Jens Lehmann's call that goalkeepers should receive greater
protection and respect in the game.

In an exclusive interview with Arsenal.com on Monday, the German
voiced his concerns in the wake of the serious injuries to Petr
Cech and Carlo Cudicini over the weekend.

Now his manager has added to the call for change.

"I can understand why Jens is upset and worried," said
Wenger. "This year there have been Shay Given, Mark Schwarzer,
who damaged his cheekbone, Cech and Cudicini. It cannot be
coincidence that suddenly in three months you have four
injuries.

"I believe there is a moment where, as a player, you
realise the keeper will be first on the ball and at that moment you
have to break down all of your pace and speed not to hurt the
keeper. That is not always done. Sometimes people think 'OK, I
keep going in, maybe I will release the ball from him'. It is
dangerous.

"I feel audacity is part of the quality of a keeper. When a
keeper has lost that somewhere, he is dead. If one day before Jens
comes out to go for a cross and thinks 'OK, I am a married man,
I am 37 and have children' and all that, then it is
finished.

"You do not want them to lose that fraction of audacity -
and they can only keep that if they feel they have protection. It
is not that nobody can touch them, because that is part of the job.
But players should not be allowed to do things which are too
dangerous and have no respect for the rules. It is not only the
rules, but also the spirit of the game."

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